Samir Nasri blasts Jamie Vardy as a ‘cheat’ and says the Leicester striker would get stick if he was foreign star

Sevilla star fumes at the role the Foxes' hero had in his red card as Craig Shakepsepare's men reached the Champions Lge last 8

By Graeme Bryce

15th March 2017, 10:29 pm

Updated: 26th March 2017, 7:28 pm

SAMIR NASRI has blasted Jamie Vardy and branded him a Champions’ League CHEAT.

The seething Sevilla star launched a blistering attack on Leicester’s England striker for his part in the 74th minute flashpoint which saw the Frenchman sent-off for violent conduct with his side trailing 2-0 and hurtling out of the Champions League.

Samir Nasri claims Jamie Vardy over-reacted to this head-to-head confrontation and so helped get the on-loan midfielder his second yellow card

The 29-year-old blasted: “He is a cheat. If Vardy was a foreign player, you the English press would say he is a cheat.

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"For me, he is a cheat!

“They were winning 2-0, play the game like a man. Win it. You are not better than us but you are winning 2-0, you will qualify, just play the game. You have quality, you are an international player, you don’t need to do that.”

Despite being red-carded and giving his club a mountain to climb, the on-loan Manchester City forward insisted it was Vardy, rather than himself, who shamed football with his actions.

He claims the sly Fox CONNED Italian referee Daniele Orsato into believing he had been violently HEAD-BUTTED in a deliberate ploy to have his opponent sent off.

Nasri sneered: “I think it was a foul or something. Then he pushed me and I said, ‘What are you doing?’ Then he came in my face. That’s what happened.

Nasri shows his anger during the flare-up that led to his second-half dismissal

“He didn’t say anything but he played it well. We went face to face and he was the one who came towards my face, then he fell on the floor.

“I thought the English player was tougher than that. He played it well.”

Television replays showed Vardy suckered hot-headed Nasri by leaning towards him with his forehead.

However it was the Frenchman, of Algerian descent, who snapped and pushed his head into Vardy to open the door for the Italian official to send him packing, in an incident reminiscent of Zinedine Zidane’s red card against Italy in the 2006 World Cup final.

“Yes I did (react) but I didn’t touch him,” whined Nasri. “I didn’t do anything with my head. He went on the floor and then the referee gave us both a yellow card.”

Vardy and Nasri could end up facing each other again in the Prem next season - if the Spaniard returns to Man City after his loan spell

Asked if Vardy had taken a dive, Nasri replied: “You don’t think so? Look at the image. Yes he did it, but he did it well. I should have thought about it before and been smarter. If I tell the truth I think you won’t be able to write it.”

Nasri had already been booked for a cynical, petulant hack from behind on 20-year-old Wilfred Ndidi in the first half but still insisted he was the victim.

“I was surprised but I should have thought about it and not reacted,” he said.

“But come on man, I am losing, I see the whole thing, coming out of the Champions League, which is a big blow for us, it was just a reaction.”